How much does a remodel cost?

After enough remodels, you learn that the price isn't really set by the room; it's set by how far you open the walls and how nice the things you put back in are. A pull-and-replace bathroom and a studs-out primary suite are the same square footage and a 5x difference in price. Here's the honest breakdown by project.

Bathroom remodel cost

A bathroom remodel typically runs $6,000 to $35,000+, and the single biggest fork is whether you keep the existing layout or move plumbing.

Refresh / pull-and-replace ($6k–$15k)

You keep the tub, toilet, and vanity roughly where they are and swap finishes: new vanity and top, new toilet, new fixtures and lighting, fresh paint, and either a re-glazed tub or a new tub-and-surround. Tile is limited to a floor and maybe a tub wall. This is the best-value remodel because labor stays low; no one is rerouting drains.

Full gut ($15k–$35k+)

Now you're taking it to the studs, often converting a tub to a curbless or tiled walk-in shower, relocating the vanity or toilet, adding an exhaust fan, and upgrading to better tile, glass, and fixtures. Plumbing and electrical changes trigger permits and inspections. Primary baths, double vanities, heated floors, and high-end tile push toward and past the top of the range. As a rule, every fixture you move adds real labor, and tile is where budgets quietly balloon; labor to set it often costs more than the tile itself. For how operators scope and price these, see our bathroom remodeling tools.

Kitchen remodel cost

Kitchens are the most expensive room per square foot because three big-ticket categories stack: cabinets, countertops, and appliances. Expect $15,000 to $80,000+, and think in tiers.

Budget tier ($15k–$30k)

Stock or refaced cabinets, laminate or an entry-level stone countertop, a mid-range appliance package, and a same-footprint layout (sink and range stay put). Refacing or repainting existing boxes instead of replacing them is the biggest single saving available in a kitchen.

Mid tier ($30k–$55k)

Semi-custom cabinets, quartz or granite counters, a tile backsplash, better appliances, and modest layout tweaks. This is where most full kitchen remodels land.

High-end ($55k–$80k+)

Custom cabinetry, premium stone or slab counters, professional-grade appliances, and a reworked layout, often moving the sink, gas line, or an island, sometimes taking down a wall. Cabinets alone are usually 30–40% of a kitchen budget, so cabinet choice is the lever that most moves the total. Layout changes that relocate plumbing, gas, or electrical add both cost and permit time. Operators can see the kitchen pricebook and workflow on our kitchen remodeling page.

Whole-home renovation & additions

Once you're renovating a whole house or adding square footage, the industry prices by the square foot, commonly $100 to $350+ per sq ft as of 2026, with the spread driven by region, finish level, and how many systems are involved.

• Finishing existing space (a basement or attic): lowest per-foot cost, since the shell, roof, and foundation already exist.
• Whole-home renovation (keeping the footprint, redoing interiors): mid-range, but watch for surprises in an older home's wiring, plumbing, and structure.
• Bump-out or single-room addition: higher per foot, because you're adding foundation, framing, roof, and mechanicals to a small area.
• Second-story addition: typically the most expensive per foot; it can require reinforcing the existing structure and rebuilding the roof.

A reliable budgeting habit: take the per-foot range, multiply by area, then add a 10–20% contingency, because whole-home and addition work almost always uncovers something once it's open. For the full scope of services and pricing, see our home remodeling page.

What drives remodeling cost

Across every project above, the same handful of factors decide where you land in the range:

• Scope. Cosmetic vs. moving walls and systems is the dominant factor; it dwarfs finish choices. Keeping plumbing and load-bearing walls in place is the cheapest decision you can make.
• Finishes. Stock vs. semi-custom vs. custom, and laminate vs. stone, can swing a room by 2–3x with identical labor.
• Permits & inspections. Anything touching structure, plumbing, gas, or electrical generally requires a permit; fees and the schedule add cost and time, and skipping them creates resale problems.
• Structural & hidden conditions. Rot, outdated wiring, undersized plumbing, or code upgrades surface once walls open, the reason a contingency is non-negotiable.
• Market & home age. Labor rates vary widely by region, and older homes carry more unknowns. As of 2026, expect costs to vary by market.

The most useful thing you can do before calling contractors is decide your scope honestly (refresh or gut) because that single choice, more than any finish, sets the budget you're really working with.